Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueternity’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueternity’, characterized by its inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; early flowering habit; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. cultivar Dueternity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueternity’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habitand attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in April, 1997 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-20-01, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 95-746-41, not patented, asthe male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Dueternity was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in March,2001. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flowerbract coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany since March, 2001, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueternity’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueternity’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.

2. Dark green-colored leaves.

3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.

4. Freely branching habit.

5. Early flowering habit; response time, about eight weeks.

6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection E-20-01, plantsof the new Poinsettia are more upright and have darker green-coloredleaves. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection 95-746-41,plants of the new Poinsettia are sturdier and have more cyathia percorymb.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivarFiscor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the newPoinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Fiscor in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were larger and more vigorous thanplants of the cultivar Fiscor.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger leaves than plants of thecultivar Fiscor.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger inflorescences with moreflower bracts per inflorescence than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.

4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Poinsettia had more cyathia thaninflorescences of plants of the cultivar Fiscor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newPoinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a singleflowering plant of ‘Dueternity’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thewinter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with dayand night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500 lux.Single plants were grown in 13-cm containers and pinched once about fiveweeks after planting. Plants were flowered under natural season shortday/long night conditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrootedcuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanical description weretaken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarDueternity.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number E-20-01, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number 95-746-41, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to inititate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C. Winter: About 13days at 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 22° C. Winter: About 28days at 22° C.

Root description.—Thick, fibrous and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.

Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit.

Plant height.—About 28 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit;about seven lateral branches develop after pinching. Length: About 25cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Color: 137A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About 11. Length: About 14 cm. Width: About 10.4 cm.Shape: Mostly ovate. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire withirregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Surface: Mostly flat. Color: Young and fullyexpanded foliage, upper surface: 136A. Young and fully expanded foliage,lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper surface: 141D. Venation, lowersurface: 138D. Petiole: Length: About 5.6 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natual flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod conditions.Response time, about eight weeks.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about eight weeks under interiorconditions and about twelve weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral branch, aboutseven.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 26 cm. Height (depth): About 4.5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: About 18.Length, largest bracts: About 10.1 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 6.9cm. Shape: Mostly ovate. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entirewith irregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous,velvety. Surface: Smooth. Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color:Developing bracts, upper surface: 46A. Developing bracts, lower surface:45A. Fully developed bracts, upper surface: 46B; color fading to 46Cwith subsequent development. Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 46C.Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as lamina. Bract petiole:Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 59A.

Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About 15. Diameter of cyathiacluster: About 3 cm. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape:Ovoid. Color, immature and mature: 144B. Peduncle: Length: About 4 mm.Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved. Color: 144B.Stamens: Quantity of stamens and staminodes per cyathium: About 30.Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: 31A.Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 9A. Pistils: Quantity ofpistils per cyathium: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Style length:About 4 mm. Style color: 144C. Stigma color: 59A. Ovary color: 144B.Nectaries: Quantity of nectaries per cyathium: One. Length: About 4 mm.Color: 15A.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toPoinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been observedto tolerate temperatures from 12 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Dueternity’, as illustrated and described.